CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) Expands to Medford

25-40 Customer Service Positions Created

Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI) is pleased to announce that CARS, a nonprofit organization based in San Diego, has opened a customer service center in downtown Medford at 344 North Bartlett near the Lithia Commons.

Founded in 2003 as a company of just a few employees accepting around three vehicle donations per day, CARS is now a well-respected leader in the car donation industry. Today, the company has partnered with over 2,500 nonprofits.

CARS had been considering another location in Arizona but diverted its plans to consider Medford after a local call center, with whom CARS was working, announced layoffs. CEO Howard Pearl realized an immediate opportunity to acquire some of those workers and essentially have a ready workforce in place on day one.  “We could not pass up the opportunity to acquire this raw talent and create a win-win-win situation for CARS, employees who were just laid off, and the City of Medford.”

CARS was also able to take advantage of a $45,000 layoff aversion grant award from the Rogue Workforce Partnership for the immediate hire of 25 employees over 14 months, 13 of which have started already working with CARS and up to 40 in 20 months. SOREDI according to Pearl “provided an invaluable service in moving the project swiftly to ensure the least amount of downtime for our company. Frankly, SOREDI working with the Rogue Workforce Partnership really tipped the scale for us making Medford a slam dunk!”

Colleen Padilla, SOREDI Executive Director, notes that SOREDI board member Tom Fischer, Coldwell Banker Commercial NW, was well familiarized with potential resources and incentives available through SOREDI and brought the prospect to their attention on a Friday evening. “This is an excellent example of how SOREDI and its partner agencies respond quickly to new opportunities and how partnerships with local brokers, developers, and businesses work for the greater benefit of the entire region.” SOREDI, and the Rogue Workforce Partnership, with whom SOREDI is co-located, were immediately able to meet with the client, discuss immediate needs and help deliver a home run within five weeks.

For more information on CARS, visit their website at www.careasy.org

SOREDI is a private, membership-based, non-profit organization, governed by a 28-member board of directors. Its six-person staff is charged with local business expansion and new business recruitment efforts, financial assistance to start-up companies through its business loan fund, and management of Enterprise Zones in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The agency was formed as a regional economic development agency in 1987.